Police in Bristol have carried out one of the biggest single operations against dealers of crack cocaine in the Westcountry – and the Bristol Evening Post’s Julie Harding was the only newspaper journalist to witness it.

For the past week and a half, hundreds of officers, supported by firearms specialists, have taken part in a series of raids targeting the city’s crack dealers.

Julie and a photographer from the Evening Post accompanied them on three separate raids.

It was the first time Bristol police had allowed journalists on an armed operation, and came after many requests from the paper and negotiation with officers by the force’s PRO.

Crime reporter Julie said: “The officers didn’t want us there as they had enough to worry about.

“But press officer Paul Gainey, who is an ex-crime reporter himself, worked on them and came up with a compromise.

“They allowed just me and a TV camera crew to go along, providing we didn’t break the midnight embargo and we pooled all our copy.”

Julie was given unprecedented access, attending briefings and going on three separate raids.

They were not allowed to travel in the police vans but instead followed in cars behind with their own police driver.

Julie said: “Being there was better than getting the information second hand.

“And going on three raids meant we were able to build up trust. The officers went from being surly, and hardly speaking, to being at ease in our company and knowing that we weren’t going to muck it up.”

Despite it being her first armed raid, Julie said she didn’t feel particularly scared.

She said: “It didn’t really occur to me until the second day when someone asked it we would be getting bullet proof vests.

“I didn’t want to be first through the door and didn’t have to be. I could see enough without getting in the way or putting myself at great risk.

“It gave me a real insight into the meticulous planning that goes into an operation like this. Parts of it were exciting but there was also a lot of waiting around where I would be bored to tears.”

During the raids Julie was able to speak to members of the community who told her they welcomed the police presence and she was also able to ask officers about how they felt the operation went.

Being so closely involved meant Julie was awash with material for her reports, and as well as using her copy in the Evening Post and sister title the Western Daily Press, it was also passed on to PA.

Julie said: “I think it bodes well for the future. The story has gone national and copy has been given to anyone who has asked for it.

“We have been able to provide unprecedented coverage and we have also got a full list of names and addresses of the people who were arrested which can be followed up through the courts.”